---
It was almost dusk by the time Twilight finally exited the hospital, followed by Derpy, Dash, and Spike. The cool air refreshed the group and reminded them of the task that lay in front of them.
“I’m not sure we’re doing the right thing by using the Elements on AMAZO. Yes, I have royal orders, but Reigns is clearly the bigger threat here,” Twilight said as she turned to face her friends. “I don’t trust him.” Pointing to Derpy with a hoof, she explained, “You and Dinky serve as AMAZO’s conscience and he’ll willingly stay put for your safety. Reigns, however, isn’t like that. He’s not like other ponies. Case in point, he immediately approached AMAZO and even outright played him.”
“So what’s the plan?” Dash asked.
“The plan is for each of us to distribute the Elements to our respective friends and have them meet up at the jail,” Twilight said as she levitated the Elements out of her new saddlebags that she bought at the hospital’s gift shop. “Derpy, you go home and swap off with Fluttershy. I promise that we won’t fight your friend unless he strikes first. Dash, you give Applejack and Pinkie Pie their Elements and fully explain the situation. Spike, do the same with Rarity.”
“What will you be doing?” Spike asked as Twilight distributed the Elements.
“I’m going to the jail now to talk to AMAZO about stripping Reigns of his new powers,” Twilight explained.
“But what if he attacks again?” Dash said with worry.
“He wouldn’t attack me again after sending Reigns to heal me,” Twilight pointed out.
“Good point,” Dash admitted.
“Thanks. Well, is everypony...and dragon ready?” Twilight asked.
“Yes,” Derpy, Dash, and Spike said in unison before going their separate ways.
---
“Radius of power is about twenty feet in all directions,” Reigns noted as he examined the tape measure indicating the area that he had turned from forest floor to concrete using Discord’s power. After rolling the tape measure back up, pocketing it, and willing the forest floor back to normal, he then picked up a nearby rock and with his hoof and concentrated on it. Slowly, the dull, brown rock started to smooth itself into a small sphere. Relaxing a bit and rolling the sphere around in his hoof, Reigns then took a few deep breaths and began to focus again. The sphere slowly began to change from brown to glistening silver. Relaxing again and examining the now metal sphere, the immortal pony sighed. “It’ll take hours to make enough of this metal to make anything useful with just forest debris. Discord’s power apparently has trouble creating a magic nullifying alloy,” he said to himself. Looking up from the metal sphere, his eyes fell upon a pile of large, dead leaves and branches next to a mud puddle. Getting an idea, he dropped the sphere and telekinetically twisted the branches together into something resembling a crude pair of wing bones. Holding the frame aloft, he then dipped the stem end of several leaves into the mud, stirred them about a few times, pulled them out, and attached them to the branch frame as feathers. Levitating his creation close, Reigns then touched the frame with a hoof, closed his eyes, and started to focus on the shape and atomic structure of the makeshift wings. Slowly, the wings began to take a sleek, uniform shape and, more importantly to Reigns, the same glistening silver as the sphere. Reigns opened his eyes and turned the wings around in the air to examine them. The wings were now structurally stable and the feathers were now broad, but sharp at the edges. Setting the wings gently on the ground and turning his attention back to the pile of leaves and branches, Reigns telekinetically lashed together some of the branches into a crisscross-shaped harness and tied it to the wings. Walking forward and touching the harness with a hoof, Reigns began concentrating once more. Slowly the harness turned from flimsy forest debris to durable leather. Reigns then relaxed, wiggled into the harness, gave the wings a few test flaps using his shoulder muscles, then flew up into the twilight sky.
---
“Yes, Miss Sparkle, you can see the prisoner, but I advise against it. The android nearly killed you last time,” Warden Penn said as he and Twilight entered the prisoner holding area. “Reigns, who is now wanted and has powers now, warned AMAZO that you and your friends will be coming for him. Oddly enough, AMAZO ordered Reigns to go out and heal you.”
“Reigns did heal me and got me quickly discharged. I still don’t trust him with any sort of powers, though,” Twilight confirmed. “He’s dangerous. Case in point, he put two Wonderbolts in the hospital.”
“The princess ordered me to get the android to strip Reigns of his powers, if possible.”
Stopping, Twilight gave the warden a look. “I came here to do just that.”
“Hopefully, between the two of us, we’ll be able to get AMAZO to cooperate.”
---
“Fluttershy, I’m home,” Derpy announced as she entered the front door. Flying into Dinky’s room, she continued, “I’ve brought your Element of Har...” Derpy’s words were caught in her throat at what she saw. Dinky, eyes open and ears perked, was listening to Fluttershy read from the filly’s favorite collection of short stories. Without warning, Derpy dropped the magical necklace, dived towards the filly, and scooped her up into a tight hug.
“Mommy,” Dinky chirped, grinning ear to ear.
Tears streaming down her face, Derpy sobbed, “I’ve missed you, muffin, more than you will ever know.” Glancing at Fluttershy, she asked, “When did she wake up?”
“She woke up about two hours ago,” Fluttershy replied, wiping away a joyful tear. “We’ve been reading and talking ever since.”
“Did you tell her about all that has happened?”
“You mean about AMAZO?” Dinky asked, nuzzling Derpy. “She did. I want to meet him and thank him, Mommy.”
“Dinky, are you well enough for us to fly you to the jail tonight?” Fluttershy asked as she picked up her Element of Harmony and fastened it around her neck.
“Yeah,” Dinky answered, turning around in her mother’s loving embrace.
“We need to hurry; Twilight’s waiting on you, Fluttershy,” Derpy announced as she carried her filly out of the bedroom with Fluttershy following behind.